Kangaroos denied Luke Lewis replacement

Lewis dislocated his left shoulder in the Kangaroos' win over Fiji on the weekend and will fly back to Australia next week to undergo surgery.

Kangaroos officials were hopeful of calling in another player to cover Lewis' absence but their appeal to the organising committee has been dismissed.

It means they will complete the rest of the tournament with a squad of 23 players.

Coach Tim Sheens and team manager Gareth Holmes believe Australia should have been allowed to bring in a replacement for Lewis since he injured his arm sliding into Rugby League World Cup signage on the edge of the field as he chased a kick.

But their request was denied despite Samoa being granted permission to replace one of their injured stars at the same hearing.

Lewis, who suffered tendon damage in the incident, could require a full shoulder reconstruction which would see him miss the start of the 2014 NRL season with Cronulla.

His injury has opened the door for the likes of Sydney Roosters forward Boyd Cordner or Canberra hit-man Josh Papalii to win a spot on the bench for the knockout stages of the Rugby League World Cup.

Australia take on Ireland this weekend before a likely quarter-final appearance against surprise-packets USA.